No love lost between Akhilesh and Shivpal: A timeline of their dispute

UP Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav have often clashed over selection of candidates, style of functioning, approach to elections and alliances. Sunday’s showdown is the latest in a long background of tension between the two.

UP Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav have often clashed over selection of candidates, style of functioning, approach to elections and alliances. Sunday’s showdown is the latest in a long background of tension between the two.

Here is a timeline of the skirmishes in the turf war between the two this year.

June 2: Akhilesh sacks cabinet minister and senior Yadav leader Balram Yadav for his role in the merger of Quami Ekta Dal (QED) with the SP following Shivpal’s authorisation.

June 25: Samajwadi Party cancels merger of Quami Ekta Dal. Shivpal sulks after his decision is publicly snubbed.

August 14: Shivpal threatens to resign after he complains of rampant land grabbing incidents in UP and involvement of SP leaders.

August 15: In an apparent warning to his son Akhilesh, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav says if his brother Shivpal resigned, the SP would split.

August 17: Shivpal skips a cabinet meeting.

August 19: The Samajwadi Party puts up a show of unity as Shivpal calls upon Akhilesh. Shivpal denies differences within the Yadav family, lavishes praises on Akhilesh, saying his government would be re-elected in 2017.

September 12: Three days after the Allahabad high court upheld its order for a CBI probe into illegal mining in Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav sacks two tainted ministers -- mining minister Gayatri Prajapati and panchayti raj minister Rajkishore Singh who were facing allegations of corruption.

September 13: Akhilesh Yadav sacks UP chief secretary Deepak Singhal, who was considered close to Shivpal.

September 13: Mulayam removes Akhilesh from the post of State president and names Shivpal to the post. Akhilesh retaliates by stripping his powerful uncle of all key ministries, especially the lucrative PWD department.

September 14: A sulking Shivpal is summoned to Delhi by Mulayam who tries to chalk out a solution to the present crisis. Akhilesh blames outsiders for rift in government in apparent attack on Amar Singh.

September 15: Tension escalates as Shivpal resigns from post of State president and cabinet in UP government. Mulayam rushes to Lucknow in fire fighting mode.

September 16: Mulayam rejects Shivpal’s resignation and says as long as he is alive party will not split. Shivpal says he will abide by his instructions.

September 20: As state chief, Shivpal expels seven Akhilesh supporters including three MLCs and chiefs of the party’s three youth wings.

October 22: SP expels Akhilesh supporter Udaiveer Singh, an MLC, for writing a letter to Mulayam asking him step down as party president to make way for Akhilesh.